Charlotte gave a faint smile despite her tears, which carried both joy and sorrow.
Her fingers continued to brush over his closed lashes while Leonid gently and steadily held her hand against his cheek.
A warm quiet settled between them until he whispered softly:
"You can stop…"
Leonid slowly opened his eyes, a gentle smile gracing his lips.
"I'm fine now."
Charlotte lifted her eyes to him with clear surprise. He smiled and chuckled lightly as he gently took her hand, placing it back over the blanket and covering it carefully.
Her damp lashes fluttered as she studied Leonid's features in the dim light, then she turned her face away when she felt his thumb wiping away her tears this time.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
"And why?"
Leonid asked without stopping his gentle movements, carefully avoiding the bandages on both her cheeks.
"It sounds like you're admitting… to crying."
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at speaking so openly. No matter what happened, one should never call a man's actions "crying." She pouted her full lips. Leonid's smile faded for a moment, then returned warmer than before.
"First, there's nothing wrong with crying… especially for you. You're very precious to me."
A glimmer shone in his eyes as he lowered his voice and added:
"Second, what I meant is that I'm truly fine, not that I've stopped crying. And finally… stop frowning, you might reopen the cut on your lower lip that way."
He scolded her gently, brushing her lips lightly with his middle finger before smiling again.
"Still, it makes me happy to see you frown for me… it comforts me more than you can imagine."
Her frown comforts him…
Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut, bitterness choking her.
Leonid's words somehow healed her core, and she was grateful for every single one, especially after all she had endured, as if he now understood the details of her pain.
"Leonid…"
"Hm?"
"Did they catch him?"
"Yes."
Even though she hadn't mentioned his name, Leonid immediately guessed she meant Devin.
"Do you know everything now?"
"Yes."
Leonid smiled despite the ache in his heart; there was no pride in knowing what had happened to her, only the bitterness of hearing the truth from the mouth of the perpetrator himself.
"Leonid…"
Charlotte's voice trembled as she called him, her tears now flowing with genuine pain.
"I hear you."
"Hug me… please."
She reached her left arm toward him, pleading for him to hold and comfort her.
Leonid nodded and moved closer without hesitation. As soon as her arm wrapped around his neck, he carefully lifted her into his arms, holding her fragile body against his chest like a delicate treasure.
Charlotte broke down, crying; her harsh sobs shattering the silence, her still-weak voice carrying despair.
"I— I'm sorry…"
Her words choked between her trembling breaths.
"Why are you sorry?"
Leonid asked softly, one hand gently patting her back, the other sliding down between the strands of hair cascading over her back.
"I should have told you… the truth… from the beginning—"
Charlotte's breaths faltered before she whispered in a broken voice:
"But I… was foolish…"
Leonid's fingers tensed briefly on her back, then he pulled her closer, resting his forehead on the top of her head as if he wanted to cradle her shattered spirit.
"You're not foolish, you were just scared."
She closed her eyes and said in a trembling voice:
"Scared or not… I should have trusted you and told you… but I thought you'd hate me… be disgusted with me, after knowing that a man had touched me. "
"He didn't touch you!"
Leonid's voice suddenly erupted, echoing against the walls of the closed room. He lifted his head, gripping her face with his hand to make her look at him.
His icy blue eyes were sharp, but they were not directed at Charlotte, who stiffened at his reaction, but at the memory of that scoundrel.
"That bastard hurt you… nearly killed you. Charlotte, if anyone should hate themselves or feel disgust, it's me… because I didn't protect you properly."
He gently moved strands of her hair from her face and added sternly:
"Not you."
Charlotte's breaths quickened. She tried to respond, but her sobs were cut off by a harsh cough that shook her frail body.
"Cough—! Cough—!"
"Charlotte?!"
Leonid rushed to support her back with one hand while pressing the nurse call button with the other, his guilt-stricken eyes never leaving her.
"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have yelled at you while you're still like this."
He whispered weakly, unable to believe he had made a mistake.
"No— cough—!"
Charlotte tried to speak, but the continuous coughing forced her to cover her mouth with her left hand, and she closed her eyes from the intensity of the pain.
Suddenly, the door opened and the nurse entered.
"Step outside."
She ordered swiftly, closing the curtain, and Leonid reluctantly stepped aside, standing outside the room.
After a few minutes, the nurse came out and glanced back at Leonid. She had recognized him from the start it was the same nurse who had confronted him earlier but it seemed Leonid hadn't remembered her.
"How is she?!"
Leonid's urgent question broke through her thoughts, and for a moment, her features faltered under the weight of his tone and seriousness.
She studied his tense expression before answering calmly:
"She's only sleeping."
"But she just woke up!"
"So what? Some patients fall back asleep after fainting."
"And what about the coughing? She was coughing so hard!"
"Calm down, it's normal… she only strained her vocal cords. Don't worry."
"Then… she really is fine?"
"Yes, but—"
"But what?!"
Leonid cut her off sharply, leaning toward her. The nurse flinched slightly; despite his handsome face, there was something imposing and deadly serious about him.
"Don't interrupt me like that,"
she protested, though she instinctively stepped back to maintain her composure, even as her heart tightened under the effect of his presence.
"In any case, the patient is still physically and mentally exhausted. Take it slowly, and don't let her push herself."
"That's all?"
"Yes. The rest is under our care. Now either stay quietly by her side, or leave if you wish."
She may have sounded a bit blunt, but the nurse was only trying to find a graceful way out without fueling more tension.
"We'll be back in fifteen minutes to check on the patient. Goodbye for now."
The nurse brushed past Leonid at once, while he finally allowed himself to calm down.
Though he still felt the heavy weight of guilt, he returned to the room and sat in the chair this time, completely silent, careful not to wake Charlotte.
Physically and mentally exhausted…
The nurse's words echoed in his mind. He exhaled softly, resting his arms on his thighs and burying his face in his hands, drowning in the silence of his grief and worry for her.
As time passed, the pale rays of morning crept through the curtains, casting threads of light across Charlotte's peacefully sleeping face, and onto Leonid's back as he sat quietly beside her.
He yawned slowly, holding the cup of coffee the nurse had brought him earlier. Since yesterday, he hadn't closed his eyes once watching Charlotte's condition with weary vigilance, listening to every breath, noticing every faint movement, afraid that even the smallest sound might disturb her.
Everything is fine…
That's what the nurse said, what everyone said. And yet, his heart remained heavy with worry. Gratitude filled him that she was safe, as they assured him, but guilt still pressed down quietly on his chest.
He yawned again and pulled out his phone, finally checking the flood of messages he hadn't noticed since leaving the police station.
But the most important one was from Dmitri:
[Devin Zorin confessed to everything in detail, and the file, complete with evidence, has been sent to the court.]
Leonid gave a faint smile, closing his phone and ignoring the other messages from Alia, Vasili, and his father.
At last, his heart eased a little. He felt relief knowing Devin would face justice, and because Charlotte was safe in his care that was all that mattered now.
And yet, he hadn't forgotten his true duty: if Devin was not the serial killer, then the danger still lingered. And he could not allow himself to taste any more bitterness.
After about an hour, Charlotte began to stir slowly, her features showing signs of waking. Leonid quickly called for the nurse, who this time arrived with the doctor.
After examining her, the doctor stepped aside with Leonid to speak to him in a calm tone:
"Her physical condition is stable, but the injuries will need time to heal. The fracture in her hand may take two months, perhaps three."
Then he added, more seriously:
"The most important thing now is her psychological state. She must meet with Dr. Konstantin this afternoon."
Dr. Konstantin was a specialist in psychology.
Leonid nodded silently, remaining where he stood until the doctor and nurse left.
He sighed as he turned toward the bed, only to find Charlotte quickly lowering her gaze, as if avoiding his eyes despite her desire to look at him.
"Are you acting shy?"
Leonid asked softly as he approached and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her.
Charlotte's lashes fluttered shyly before she murmured in a low, sweet voice:
"I've caused you worry… I'm sorry."
Leonid smiled faintly.
"It's alright. I've made mistakes too."
Charlotte hesitated for a moment, then spoke even more softly:
"About what happened… can you tell me the details? I'm fine now—"
"No."
Leonid interrupted firmly but gently.
"No details… not in general, not in private. I won't tell you anything, so just stay lying down and focus only on recovering."
Charlotte's eyes lifted to him with a small spark of defiance, trying to protest:
"But… why not?"
Leonid raised his eyebrow slightly, answering coolly:
"Do I really need to explain why?"
Then he stood and adjusted the white blanket around her.
"The sun may be up, but it's still cold. You need to stay under the covers especially since the hospital gown isn't warm."
He reached out and straightened the collar of her medical gown gently, his fingertips brushing her skin before he pulled his hand back and moved toward the chair.
But suddenly, Charlotte caught the edge of his coat.
"Are you leaving?"
Leonid turned to her.
"No. I just wanted to sit on the chair."
Charlotte's face flushed quickly as she let go of his coat.
"Oh… sorry."
She smiled shyly, placing a hand on her chest as if to calm her racing heartbeat. Luckily, she was no longer connected to the heart monitor otherwise her agitation would have been obvious to everyone.
She whispered:
"I thought you were going to leave… since I'm fine now."
Leonid paused for a moment, staring at her, then quietly returned to sit beside her on the edge of the bed again.
"Even if you're fine… I never think about leaving your side."